Start strong when Vegas can’t
Carolina is one of the best teams in the NHL, and they are getting a trio of players back from injury. Vegas still have 5 players listed as out for tonight’s game and three more who are questionable. Vegas is struggling to ice a lineup right now, and it’s showing. With the team having a whole multitude of players up on an emergency recall basis, it shows the true extent of Vegas’ injury woes.
Carolina needs to be heartless here and take control of this game against a strong but undermanned opponent. With Carolina’s talent in their front 12, a whole number of players know how to bury the puck on an NHL-caliber goaltender. It’s why the team has scored 10 goals in their last 4 games is a little concerning, and they’re going up against a former Vezina-finalist netminder.
Vegas boasts some of the best talents in the NHL when they are healthy, but that’s been the struggle for the Knights. Their injury list reads like Charles Dickens’ novel right now. Players are out with COVID, out with back surgery, out with little knocks. It’s a whole resume of reasons that means Vegas isn’t able to ice their best 20 guys right now. Carolina needs to exploit that.
Start on time, and start strong. This is the first of a 6 game road trip that will span across the next two weeks, so a win tonight would go a long way to solidifying this road trip as a success for the organization. And this building in particular has been somewhere that Carolina has felt very welcome in the past. Winning there this year would aid their push for the division title.